The Liberal Democratic Party’s closely watched presidential election officially kicked off Friday, with four contenders in the race: Taro Kono, Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda.

The candidates will hold policy debates, outline their platforms and seek further support among LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members up until the Sept. 29 election, which will ultimately determine Japan’s next prime minister.

Below is a look at who each of the candidates are and where they stand on key issues.